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¹ Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,² Whether he, that spekith many thingis, schal not also here? ether whethir a man ful of wordis schal be maad iust?³ Schulen men be stille to thee aloone? whanne thou hast scorned othere men, schalt thou not be ouercomun of ony man?⁴ For thou seidist, My word is cleene, and Y am cleene in thi siyt.⁵ And `Y wolde, that God spak with thee, and openyde hise lippis to thee;⁶ to schewe to thee the priuetees of wisdom, and that his lawe is manyfold, and thou schuldist vndurstonde, that thou art requirid of hym to paie myche lesse thingis, than thi wickidnesse disserueth.

⁷ In hap thou schalt comprehende the steppis of God, and thou schalt fynde Almyyti God `til to perfeccioun.<sup>8</sup> He is hiyere than heuene, and what schalt thou do? he is deppere than helle, and wherof schalt thou knowe?<sup>9</sup> His mesure is lengere than erthe, and brodere than the see.<sup>10</sup> If he distrieth alle thingis, ethir dryueth streitli `in to oon, who schal ayenseie hym? Ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doest thou so?¹¹ For he knowith the vanyte of men; and whether he seynge byholdith not wickidnesse?¹² A veyn man is reisid in to pride; and gessith hym silf borun fre, as the colt of a wilde asse.

¹³ But thou hast maad stidefast thin herte, and hast spred abrood thin hondis to hym.¹⁴ If thou doest awei `fro thee the wickidnesse, which is in thin hond, and vnriytfulnesse dwellith not in thi tabernacle,<sup>15</sup> thanne thou schalt mowe reise thi face with out wem, and thou schalt be stidefast, and thou schalt not drede.<sup>16</sup> And thou schalt foryete wretchidnesse, and thou schalt not thenke of it, as of watris that han passid.<sup>17</sup> And as myddai schynynge it schal reise to thee at euentid; and whanne thou gessist thee wastid, thou schalt rise vp as the dai sterre.<sup>18</sup> And thou schalt haue trist, while hope schal be set forth to thee; and thou biried schalt slepe sikurli.<sup>19</sup> Thou schalt reste, and `noon schal be that schal make thee aferd; and ful many men schulen biseche thi face.²⁰ But the iyen of wickid men schulen faile; and socour schal perische fro hem, and the hope of hem schal be abhominacyioun of soule.